Reflection Essay about Good Nutrition

There are many different opinions of what good nutrition truly means. Good nutrition means finding balance specifically regarding food in one’s lifestyle. This doesn’t mean that people cut out their favorite fast foods completely, or decline a soda when offered. As mentioned it means to find balance, and for me, that balance has become easy. My first step towards good nutrition was realizing that it has nothing to do with numbers we see on a food package or the scale we step on. It also has nothing to do with what size fits best. Good nutrition has nothing to do with numbers. There is no correct answer to how much food people place in their bodies, but it matters what they place in their bodies. 

There is no right or wrong way to describe this fairly broad term. This is because there are many different ways to handle good nutrition. Although in retrospect, it all looks the same if someone were to follow the wrong path of nutrition it could affect them greatly. The simple answer for Good Nutrition is someone who is “considering variety and moderation in everything” (Amy Friend). Some people try to add more to the term, like saying working out is a part of good nutrition. But nowhere in terms of good nutrition is there anything about working out. As the term good means “of somewhat high but not excellent quality” (Merriam-Webster). Then the term Nutrition means “the act of being nourished (Merriam-Webster). Neither of these terms has anything to do with working out, lowering calorie intake, or weight. 

Younger me had a very different definition of good nutrition. It’s hard to see a problem in someone’s way of thinking when it’s all they’ve known. As a kid, we follow in the steps of our siblings, and we payed attention every step they took. Each and every one of my sisters had some form of an obsession with “nutrition”. Each of them also had their own opinion of what it meant too. My sister who did ballet lived off of protein drinks in high school, one was vegan, the other was obsessed with the gym, and lastly one of them ate food as if she were a rabbit. In a family full of girls it was hard to not pay attention to my looks, and even as a young girl that was always something I was recognized for. So at about 9 years old, my comfort meal was a salad. A salad was full of nutrients, right? A salad was something that could never make me feel bad. That’s how my definition of good nutrition formed. A salad was the picture of a perfect lifestyle. A healthy, and nutritious lifestyle that as a young girl led to me being malnourished. As my target was a nutritious lifestyle the result was very far from it. When high school came around this idea changed. Good nutrition turned into always working out, 80% of my meals were vegetables, a lot of protein drinks, and low-calorie meals. If my day involved any fast food it led to disappointment towards myself. It meant that my body was not being treated well, and that was never an option.

The most significant part of nutrition is eating full meals, and eating 3 meals a day is just as important. When planning meals its good to split up the meal four different ways. Place half of  the plate with “fruits and vegetables, and the other half with whole grains and protein” (Dr. Sruthi M). To be more specific Dr. Sruthi also uses an example of foods in the Mediterranean diet. This diet includes “fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, chicken, beans, nuts, legumes, herbs, spices” (Dr. Sruthi M).  They also state that occasionally “eggs, red meat, cheese, and yogurt” (Dr. Sruthi M) are acceptable. Many people debate the amounts that are needed, but it only necessary to think about the different foods one consumes. Keeping numbers out of it can help keep the idea of good nutrition without turning it into an obsession. Another factor in nutrition is drinking water. Dr. Sruthi says that we must consume at “least 8 glasses a day” (Dr. Sruthi M). Many people begin their nutrition journey with the idea of losing weight, but there are many other benefits that can come from this. It helps decrease the risk of many diseases, and can also help with depression. 

Good nutrition can be a tricky term to define, but bringing it to action is the hardest part. As there are many paths for people to take towards good nutrition, and many obstacles to pass.